Airfares up 15% over last year’s Diwali spurt

If you are planning a holiday this Diwali, be prepared to burn a big hole in your pockets. High fares, once characteristic of the festive season, are back and travel experts say these are 10-15 % higher than last year’s.

| TNN | Updated: Oct 14, 2012, 06:34 IST

MUMBAI: If you are planning a holiday this Diwali, be prepared to burn a big hole in your pockets. High fares, once characteristic of the festive season, are back and travel experts say these are 10-15 % higher than last year's. So, whether it is Delhi, Kolkata or Lucknow , flyers will shell out at least Rs 11,000- 15,000 for a round trip. In fact, some of the highest fares to these cities have touched up to 17,000 one way.
A round trip to Delhi will cost between Rs 15,000 and Rs 17,000 around Diwali. A return trip to Kolkata is priced at Rs 17,000-Rs 20,000.

With Diwali fast approaching , airfares are soaring higher by the day. A flight to Chennai costs anywhere between Rs 11,000 and Rs 13,000, while tickets to tier II cities like Lucknow, Indore, Jaipur and Kochi are available in the same range or are more expensive. A return fare to Jaipur from Mumbai costs Rs 14,000- Rs 15,000, while a return ticket to Lucknow has soared to Rs 18,000. And travel experts say these are some of the lowest fares available. Fares are even higher on early morning or evening flights. "The range goes as high as Rs 25,000 for some flights scheduled in a popular time slot," said Rajesh Rateria, Cirrus Travels' MD. Fares are generally higher during Diwali, said Rateria, but there has also been a 10-15 % hike due to market conditions.

"Fares to Delhi are usually about Rs 12,000 a month from Diwali, while Jaipur tickets used to be available at Rs 8,000-9 ,000. Chennai, Kolkata and even Indore were available for much less," Rateria said. "The only exceptions are cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad, where travel during Diwali remains normal."

Multiple factors seem to have contributed to the soaring prices. According to Pradip Lulla, national general secretary, Travel Agents Federation of India, the absence of Kingfisher Airlines flights is one of the major reasons for the hike. "Withdrawal of the Kingfisher inventory has caused the number of flights and seats available to drop. This is why passengers now have fewer options," he said. Till September last year, Kingfisher was operating more than 9,000 domestic flights. By May, the number was below 3,000. Now, with the lockout, the airline is completely out of the market, causing a paucity of seats and an eventual fare rise.

The fuel price hike, devaluation of the rupee and a robust demand have also pushed fares up. Rajeev Kale, COO (domestic tourism, MICE, Sports n Cruises) at Thomas Cook (India), said the devaluation of the rupee and hike in international travel rates created a bigger demand for domestic travel. "The depreciating rupee , along with hikes in international fares, fuel surcharges and taxes, has created an unprecedented demand for domestic holidays. This, seen in light of a sharp drop in domestic capacity , has had a resultant peaking in airfare pricing upwards of 30% compared to last year," said Kale. Most experts said the fares were likely to rise further in the next two weeks.

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